Imaginary Numbers
by Regiss
Summary: From Traverse Town to Hollow Bastion, and everything in between, there's so much more beyond just the adventures of Xion and Sora. Come see the day to day lives of the people living among all the stars in the sky. All that matters is this moment. Remember the Tides spinoff, collection of oneshots set all throughout the series.
1. Of Math and Museums

_I think this requires some backstory. While writing the opening chapters of _The Tides Go Out_, I found I had a surprising amount of fun with the slice of life style. So I came up with this. Unlike the main story, _Imaginary Numbers_ is not a priority of mine; I'll just write when something comes to me. Chapter length is going to vary and most will probably be oneshots, with only a few connecting to each other. This is largely an experiment, as this type of story is not something I'm used to. My only experience with it so far has been _TTGO._ But I hope you enjoy it all the same._

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**Of Math and Museums**

Xion spun her pencil around in her hand, flipping it through her slender fingers. She gnawed slightly on her lower lip, her face contorted in thought as she stared at the paper in front of her. It was blank of any pencil marks except for her name in the corner. Her eyes ran over the numbers and shapes on the sheet and she tilted her head as if that would suddenly make them understandable. Letting out a low groan under her breath, Xion leaned backwards, her black hair brushing against the neck of the boy behind her.

"How's it going on your end, Xion?" Roxas asked with a laugh. Xion was sitting sideways on the couch in the Usual Spot, using Roxas as support for her back while he sat normally on the old green cushion. The whole gang had gathered after school to do their homework, Dodger included—the always-cool dog was sleeping in the corner.

"Geometry's beyond me," Xion replied. She stretched her legs out, tugging down on her white skirt as she did so (not that it mattered, since she wore leggings anyway).

"I could tutor you." Xion glanced over to Olette, who was reading. Her backpack was sitting by her feet, all zipped up and neat. She had finished her homework in class during their free time. Free time that Xion had spent chatting with Roxas and listening to Powerline's newest song.

Eye to Eye was one of his best, by the way.

"Thanks, but I mean…" Xion shrugged. "I _get it_, I just…don't want to do it, you know?" She knew that was hardly a good work ethic and wouldn't get her far in life, but she _also_ knew geometry would barely come up in her future.

Olette shrugged. "Suit yourself. My offer's always open."

Hayner spoke up now, irritation in his voice. "Hey, how come Xion gets a free pass? If it had been me saying that, you'd be all up un my face about it!"

"Well, do you feel the same way Hayner?"

Xion wisely tuned out Olette and Hayner before the inevitable argument between them began. She turned back to her paper, twirling the pencil once again as she ran over the problems once more. "'Name the three secondary trigonometric ratios'…" she mumbled under her breath. She stopped spinning the pencil and pressed its tip against the paper, but didn't write anything.

Roxas turned his head, attracted to Xion's problem by her grumbling. "What happened to knowing it getting it but not wanting to do it?"

"Okay, so maybe I don't get _all_ of it," Xion grumbled and tilted her head back to look at him. "Mr. Minamimoto is going to kill me."

Roxas smirked. "Some Of Her Children Are Having Trouble Over Algebra" he said, repeating one of their math teacher's favorite phrases.

"Don't give me that SOHCAHTOA stuff. That's not even relevant to this." She tilted her head and turned the paper. "…I think."

Roxas shrugged. "Sorry. I'm not much help with math either."

Xion groaned and tossed the paper into the air. She leaned back against Roxas's side again as the paper caught on a stray breeze and floated down to rest on Dodger's head. The dog glanced up at it and then went back to sleep, and Xion could almost swear he shrugged.

"If this was psychology I wouldn't have a problem."

Roxas chuckled. "I don't think I've ever heard someone prefer _psychology_ over any other class."

"Or art. History. Just not _math_."

When Xion finally turned her attention back to the others, the Hayner and Olette's argument had somehow shifted topics completely. Pence was checking something on his phone while Hayner and Olette were waiting for him to do something.

"Found it!" Pence held his phone closer to read the small font. "'The Museum of Myth and History funded by Xanatos Enterprises opens this Saturday. The museum has received some controversy for focusing largely on the former myths over Twilight Town's history, but Xanatos Enterprises CEO and founder of the museum David Xanatos states that plenty of history museums exist as it is.'" Pence looked up at Hayner. "Is this what you were looking for?"

"Yup, that's it."

Xion frowned. "Why does _Hayner_ want to go to a museum?"

He shrugged. "They're hiring night time security guards."

"And you think they're going to let a student take that job?"

Hayner looked away. He obviously hadn't considered that. "Well, maybe if I fudge the numbers a little."

"You _cannot_ be serious," Olette said.

Xion frowned and tuned them out again, knowing another argument was coming. She leaned over the side of the couch and picked her homework up from Dodger's head. She spun her pencil around in her hand, flipping it through her slender fingers, and gnawed slightly on her lower lip, her face contorted in thought as she stared at the numbers and shapes in front of her.

Sometimes she wondered if she couldn't get a bit more excitement in her life.


	2. Bus Stop Companion

**Bus Stop Companion**

"Damn it, damn it, damn it!"

Footsteps pounded on the paved stone in rapid succession, hurrying down the empty streets of Twilight Town. Minutes ago they had been full of the usual bustle and hustle of an early spring weekend, but that changed quickly. Boots colored white and yellow splashed at puddles with every step, sending up droplets of water that soaked through her black leggings. Not that the rain needed much help.

Xion had been walking home from Kronk's diner when the rain had started. It hadn't been entirely unexpected, it was a cloudy day, but of course Xion didn't have an umbrella on her. Why would she do something that made sense? So when Twilight Town suddenly shifted from a bright, if cloudy, day to a torrential downpour, she was caught in the middle as the streets cleared out. So now she ran up the mountainside roads of the city hoping to find some sort of shelter from the storm.

Xion rounded the corner and the clouds may as well have parted to shine down upon what she saw, she was so glad. It was…a bus stop—a tiny bus stop. But that wasn't important; what was important was it had a ceiling. Shelter! Her energy renewed, Xion sprinted forward to her newfound haven, feet splashing in growing puddles all the way.

"Finally!" Xion shouted when she came under the cover of the bus stop's ceiling. It was a rather loud shout, but she didn't care. Beautiful, _beautiful _dryness! She eyed the graffiti on the inner walls of the bus stop as she sat down on the creaking metal bench and pulled her hood down. A quick run through her hair with her pale fingers told Xion that the hood hadn't exactly been much help. Not that she needed to feel it to know that, though, since she could see the strands of hair dangling in front of her eyes and dripping water onto her lap.

Xion took her jacket off and stared at it in her hands. There was much more water than fabric there. Setting that aside next to her, Xion moved to inspect her white shirt. Luckily, unlike her hair, while her shirt was wet to some extent the jacket did protect it from the elements for the most part. Good thing, too; that could have been a real disaster.

"Downpour."

Xion jumped and an embarrassingly schoolgirl-sounding "Eep!" escaped her lips. She hadn't noticed anyone else in the bus stop when she had come inside, but the voice spoke up from beside her, not from the doorway. Turning to her right, Xion saw a familiar figure sitting on the other end of the old bench.

"Fuu?"

The quiet albino girl nodded, glancing at Xion with her eerie red eyes. Like Xion, she was soaking wet; unlike Xion, she hadn't taken off her own jacket. The blue material was darker than normal as the water soaked into its threads. Xion forced a smile. She didn't dislike Fuu, but it was always awkward around her. She barely said a word and most of the time the two of them saw one another was when Hayner and Seifer were having another argument.

"Hey," Xion said in what she hoped was a friendly tone. "I guess you don't have an umbrella either, huh?"

Fuu's only reply was a silent nod, and Xion sighed inwardly. Conversation with this girl was never easy. When it became evident that Fuu wasn't going to speak up much more, Xion turned toward the glass walls of the bus stop and watched the raindrops hit the window. The rain was a curtain, obscuring Xion's vision of everything just a few yards out from their small shelter. She hadn't seen a storm like this in a long time; the last time must have been when she was very young, seven or eight years old, and spending the night at Olette's. The thunder had scared her pretty badly back then.

"_Do you want me to call Roxas?"_ That's what she had asked while picking up the phone in her kitchen. Even as a little girl Olette was more insightful than the others; Xion hadn't even noticed at the time how calm she was whenever Roxas was around, but Olette had picked up on it right away. Still, though, eight-year-old Xion had adamantly decided that she was fine in the storm—before a booming thunderclap made her drop her drink in surprise. To this day Olette's mom still didn't know what had happened to that glass cup.

_I should have planned on this and brought an umbrella_, Xion thought as she watched the storm rage on outside. Actually, an umbrella probably wouldn't do much good. She'd need a heavy raincoat in something like this. Still, if Xion had thought ahead then she'd be snug at home right now, drinking something warm. Oh man, Dodger was probably freaked out at the lightning and thunder too, now that she thought about it. Her parents were still at work so he was home all alone.

"Friends coming?" Xion jumped slightly, surprised at Fuu's soft voice. She glanced beside her again, where Fuu hadn't budged an inch. She was speaking to Xion while still looking out at the rain. "Well?"

"Do you mean are my friends coming out here?" A barely visible nod. Xion shook her head. "I don't think so. None of them know I'm out here. I suppose I could call them, but I wouldn't be surprised if my phone is busted from all this water." Xion paused as a thought occurred to her. "What about you, Fuu?"

Fuu looked at Xion for a moment, her visible eye only slight larger than normal. Then she turned away and stared at her hands in her lap.

"No." She shook her head. "Searching for Rai."

"Oh," Xion said simply. "You were looking for Rai out here when the storm began?" Another nod. "Well wouldn't Seifer want you to come back in a storm like this, to be safe?"

"Pigheaded."

Xion nearly choked on laughter that suddenly bubbled up. Did _Fuu_ just call Seifer pigheaded? Yeah he was, but it was weird to hear one of his own Disciplinary Committee members be the one to say it. Maybe Fuu wasn't so bad after all.

"I know the type. Loud, obnoxious, always thinks he knows best…" Xion caught Fuu barely crack a smile at the description. Hayner or Seifer, who could it be? Xion felt her own lips curl up slightly. She turned her body fully to Fuu instead of just her head, though Fuu didn't respond in kind. "Let me guess: Seifer has some insane plan that will never work out, and he's dragging you guys into it?"

Fuu nodded and looked up at Xion. Yes, she was _definitely_ smiling.

"Already did. Mud bombs." Wow, that was probably the most Xion had heard Fuu say at one second. "Backfired."

Wait, backfired mud bombs? So Seifer was covered in…? Xion's eyes widened and then she broke into laughter, and a moment later she realized Fuu had joined her.

The rain didn't seem so bad anymore.


	3. Normalcy

_This chapter takes place between Remember the Tides and The Tides Go Out, before Braig kidnaps Xion._

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**Normalcy**

The beaches of the Destiny Islands were silent as the moon climbed above the horizon. The children had long since returned from the play island, and the adults from their jobs. The waves lapped against the shore and gently rocked the fishing boats that rested at the docks. Even the cawing of seagulls had quieted.

Only slightly further inland, with the sands and sea still well within sight, the humble homes of Destiny Islands stood tall in a criss-crossing web of dirt roads. In one three-bedroom house owned by a fisherman by trade, the lights within had gone out hours ago—except for one window, still lit up against the dark.

Xion lay on her back on her bed, her arms stretched out to her sides and her eyes staring at empty space above her. She was dressed simply, in just a tee and shorts, while Stitch's summon charm was sitting next to her Star Shard and a handful of seashells on the nearby nightstand. After she had returned from the beach today with shells in hand, Xion had retired to this room…her room. It was still odd to think of it like that.

The room was sparse. Besides the bed and nightstand, there was a television against the far wall, a ceiling fan hanging from above, a dresser with minimal clothing within, and a desk with nothing on it but a clock. It was too big; this room, that is. Xion had lived her whole life in small rooms, first at the Organization's castle and then aboard the Gummi ship. A large room—no, not even large, she reminded herself; this was average-sized—it was too much. She didn't know what to do with all of the space.

Kairi had pointed it out to Xion when she had visited earlier, how empty it was. The redhead had pushed her to at least get a computer for the desk, a laptop at minimum. She had made Xion set up a shopping day with her and Selphie, but Xion wasn't sure. Why would she need a computer? Then again, if she was going to live a normal life now…

Heh. A normal life. What an alien concept.

_I still can hardly believe it…_

Xion had not been expecting the warm welcome she had gotten from the locals of Destiny Islands, though to be fair as far as most of them knew she was simply Sora's cousin from one of the neighboring smaller isles. That lie would not have passed with his parents, though…and of all the reactions she had gotten theirs had surprised her the most.

Before Sora had even finished explaining her to them, they had taken her into a deep hug.

It had taken Xion completely unaware when she suddenly found herself wrapped in two pairs of loving arms. They hadn't even batted an eye at the situation, which was incredible—but also fitting, when she had time to think about it. Sora's parents were so much like him; or rather, he was so much like them. And Xion had known that they were, of course; she had Sora's memories. But she had still been so scared… She should have known better. Sora's parents had taken her in. As far as they were concerned, Xion had always been part of the family.

But with that thought, a pit grew in Xion's stomach and she found herself biting her lip. They saw her as their daughter, and they did their best every day to make sure she felt that way too. They spoke to her whenever possible, but also knew when to let her have her space. They gave her an allowance just like the one Sora had. They gave her this room, moving all the storage boxes that had been in it to the garage, and bought her furniture and clothes. She had been completely integrated as their daughter.

And biologically, she _was_ their daughter. As Sora's Replica, she had his DNA—she was a combination of his parents. But…did Xion still _see_ them as her parents? She wasn't sure. She had Sora's memories of going out on fishing trips with his dad, or of working in the garden with his mom, but that was just it—they were _Sora's_ memories, not hers. She hadn't actually met them in her entire life until these last couple of weeks.

_Is this how Kairi would feel if she met her birth family? I'll have to talk to her—_

A knock at the door broke Xion's train of thought. Who was still awake at this hour?

"Xion, you up? Or did you just leave the light on?"

"Sora?" Xion sat up, adjusting her shirt and running a hand through her hair. She hopped off the bed, her bare feet sinking into the carpet, but before she had made it to the door Sora opened it on his own—not without trouble.

"Could you give me a hand?" He grinned as he stumbled, trying to both hold the door open and hold up the two wide, flat boxes with paper plates on top that he held in his palm.

Xion complied, hurrying over and taking the boxes while Sora caught himself and shut the door behind him. Xion glanced down at the boxes with a frown, slowly registering the red and orange logo on the top. "Pizza?"

"Yup. Figured why not, right?"

Xion set the pizzas down on her empty desk and then turned around. "Sora, it's past midnight."

"Your point?" Xion couldn't help but smile at his question. There wasn't even a hint of sarcasm, he was genuinely confused. "I mean, it occurred to me when I got up for a drink: you've never actually had pizza have you?" A shake of her head got him to smile. "Well, I called it in!"

"Who even delivers this late?"

"You'd be surprised." Sora moved up next to her and opened the two boxes, revealing two pizzas still fresh out of the oven. "You want some?"

Xion shrugged helplessly. "I guess so." Well, it couldn't hurt at least.

Following Sora's example, Xion took a slice of pizza and one of the plates and then plopped down on the floor beside the boy. He grinned like an idiot as she took her first bite of pizza ever, and then laughed as her eyes lit up. Xion couldn't help it, she found herself laughing alongside him—and then coughing as she started choking on the pizza.

"What was that about?" Sora asked, laughter still in his voice as he handed her a napkin.

Xion smiled behind the napkin as she wiped sauce off of her lips. "I thought your memories of pizza would brace me. It didn't."

The two of them sat there in Xion's room for hours, just talking all night. Looking back, Xion couldn't even remember what it was they had talked about. Island life, maybe. Or what they'd be doing in a week, or when school started up soon how Xion would probably have to enroll. Dumb, normal kid stuff. And she loved every moment of it.

And hours later, as the first caws of the seagulls and the smell of the morning sea breeze came through Xion's open window, the two of them looked up to see the very first hints of sunlight peaking over the horizon. Sora stood up and stifled a yawn as he picked up the empty pizza boxes.

"Can't believe we were up all night," Xion said with a smile as she stood up to help Sora clean.

"Probably wasn't the smartest idea," Sora admitted. "I mean, we've got a big day."

"Huh?" Xion glanced up at Sora, sure that confusion was clear on her face. Something tugged on her memory about tomorrow—or today, rather—but she wasn't sure what.

Sora grinned. "Don't you remember? Tidus's dad is taking us out on his boat to see the ruins."

Xion's eyes widened. "Oh! Right, Zanarkand! I had completely forgotten!" It had been set up a week ago, when Xion had first been introduced the imposing man named Jecht, Tidus's father. He was a sporty, muscular man, captain of the blitzball team, sailing advocate, and—and this was something that had surprised both Sora and Xion—a history buff.

Jecht was big into the legends of Zanarkand, the old city that had once connected all of the Destiny Islands together into a metropolis. That was a long, long time ago, and it was destroyed in an ancient war. These days the ruined remains dotted the beaches and waters around the islands, and supposedly Jecht had found a big cluster of the stuff in a lagoon. He had promised to take Tidus and some of his friends out, and that was today.

"You haven't met Yuna yet, have you?" Xion turned to see Sora standing in the doorway. She frowned and brought a hand to her chin, thinking. Yuna… Brown hair, one blue eye and one green, and the daughter of Mayor Braska; in other words, Kairi's stepsister.

Xion shook her head. "Not unless your memories count."

Sora smiled and shrugged. "Kairi, Yuna, and their cousin Rikku are coming too." He pointed a warning finger forward, but his grin didn't fade. "Xion, be careful pronouncing Rikku's name. She and Riku have gotten into fights over it."

Xion laughed, and waved goodbye at Sora as he left her room behind. But when the door closed, her face fell and nervousness grew in her gut. She shut the window as she got undressed and chose a new outfit for the day. That in and of itself was still a weird feeling for her, having been very limited in her choice of clothing before now, but it wasn't the reason she felt nervous.

A day out with other kids, huh… It was so simple, but it terrified her. Could she handle that after living the 'life' she had so far?


	4. A Place to Go Back To

_This chapter takes place between The Tides Go Out chapters 43: Open the Door, and 63: The Door to Light._

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**A Place to Go Back To**

"Look, there's another one gone."

Cissnei turned her head up to the sky, brushing a lock of red hair out of her eyes as she followed the direction Yuffie was pointing. Before their eyes, a star flashed brightly for an instant, then faded away into the darkness of space. Cissnei took in a deep breath and turned downward, awkwardly adjusting her gloves to do something—anything—that would keep her mind off of it.

She wasn't having much success.

"Where do you think they are now?" Yuffie asked, only a hint of worry in her voice. Cissnei envied her; the younger girl had a constant optimism the likes of which she had only ever seen in two other people before: Sora of course, as well as…

"There's no way to know." Beside the two of them, Leon leaned against the wall of Traverse Town's Gizmo Shop. He brought a pair of fingers up to his forehead in contemplation and added, "Even with everything going on out there, there's still so many worlds left. They could be anywhere, and we're just going to have to wait here for them."

Yuffie frowned slightly, kicking her legs out over empty air; she was sitting on the ledge, overlooking the plaza of the Second District. "You know what? I have to admit I'm fine with that." When the Leon and Cissnei glanced at her, Yuffie shrugged and looked away with an embarrassed glow on her cheeks. "What I mean is, well… I guess I just feel more comfortable here."

Leon stared at Yuffie like she had grown a second head. Cissnei frowned and put a hand on her shoulder. "Why do you think that? I'd think home would be—"

"That's the thing though! I mean…to me, Traverse Town is home." Yuffie shrugged again, with a more helpless inflection to the gesture this time. "I was really young when we left Radiant Garden the first time, so Hollow Bastion isn't…" A grunt came from Leon's direction, and Yuffie laughed. "Chill out, Squall! I like Hollow Bastion and all, but, you know… I just don't _feel_ it there."

Jumping up to her feet, Yuffie held her hands out to embrace the wind and breathed in the night air. "But this? The lights and sounds, the cobblestone streets, even the old broken-down roofs… Traverse Town is my home." She giggled. "Or at least, I guess that's what I'm saying."

Cissnei crossed her arms and looked up at the black sky, pondering. It certainly made some sort of sense; just how old was Yuffie, anyway? Cissnei didn't think she was even twenty yet. So young, and even younger when they left. Yuffie had spent over half of her life here. Yeah, she understood.

Leon's grunt, however, immediately gave off just what _he_ thought about that.

"Oh yeah?" Yuffie scoffed and pushed a finger into Leon's face. "Well what about you then, Squall? Huh? Don't try and pretend you don't have some good memories here either!"

Leon pushed Yuffie's hand aside and then crossed his arms. "Nope."

"You liar! You loved it when Cid would take us out to ice cream, and don't even pretend you didn't!"

"Can't say I recall that."

"Ugh!" Yuffie shoved Leon in the shoulder and turned away in a huff. "Well whatever. Like I care!" She turned so quickly that she didn't notice the small smile the brunet gave her from behind. Sliding down the wall, Yuffie quickly returned to her spot and kicked her legs out into the air almost forcefully, as if trying to show off just how little she cared.

Behind her, Leon shook his head and Cissnei looked to him. "Really? Big, strong Leon doesn't have a single good thing to say about Traverse Town?"

"Well, maybe the atmosphere isn't _completely _awful…"

"Ha!" Yuffie shouted.

Leon didn't acknowledge her. "But whenever we'd go out somewhere with Cid as kids…whenever we'd go get ice cream, or dinner, or just go buy a new pair of shoes with whatever munny we could scrounge up…" Leon stared down at his feet and let out a sigh. "Yuffie, you can't tell me you didn't miss your parents then. That's the kind of thing a family should be doing, not a bunch of orphans and an old mechanic."

Immediately, Yuffie's face grew uncharacteristically dark. She stopped swinging her legs and stared down at her intertwining fingers that now sat in her lap. "…No, because I don't remember my parents." Leon looked like was about to say something. Almost immediately, however, the smile sprang back onto the chipper young ninja's face "I mean, you guys are my family, arent'cha? And Cid's as good a dad as any!"

Cissnei patted Yuffie on the head. "I wonder if your optimism is a coping mechanism."

"Hey!" Yuffie snapped up at her with a cheeky grin. "I don't know what that means, but it sounded mean!" She nudged Cissnei in the side. "Well, what about you, Cissnei? What's your family like?"

Cissnei pursed her lips; it was a question she had almost seen coming. It wasn't the first time she had been asked this in her life, and she doubted it would be the last. It was kind of an ice-breaker question, she figured—who are your parents, got any siblings? Stuff like that was more common courtesy…or, at least that's what she thought, anyway. Common courtesy wasn't very common with the Turks.

Cissnei took in a long, deep breath, and then, leaning back, she let it out slowly. "Couldn't tell you, sorry." At her short response, Yuffie's eyes grew as wide as saucers. Even Leon seemed curious now, though he tried to hide it. Cissnei chuckled and shook her head. "Turks training was very…_thorough_ back in Radiant Garden. We were raised from childhood—probably about how young you were when Radiant Garden fell. I can remember my parents, but not too well."

Yuffie raised an eyebrow. "But you were a Turk back then too. You don't look _that_ much older than me."

Before Cissnei could comment on that though, Leon spoke up. "Yuffie, remember: Cissnei didn't survive that day. She was lost in the darkness and only came back when Sora and Riku closed the door."

Yuffie winced. "Oh, right… Sorry."

But Cissnei brushed it off. "Don't worry, I don't remember any of it." And that was the truth. She remembered the day the Heartless attacked, remembered that argument at the church, and remembered—

"_We're friends…right?!"_

Cissnei suppressed a shudder and drowned out the memory with a shake of her head. Her red curls bounced with the movement. Patting Yuffie on the head again, she smiled behind darkened eyes. "When Radiant Garden was restored, I—and everyone else who was lost—basically felt like I was waking up from a long, dreamless sleep. It didn't hurt or anything. Feels…like yesterday, really."

"_This is my job!"_

"…Well, what do _you_ think of Traverse Town, then, Cissnei?"

"Me?" Yuffie's question caught Cissnei off-guard. Frowning, she cupped her chin in her hand and let out a soft _hmm_. "Well…"

What _did_ she think of it? Well, it was very different. It had certainly been a shock; when she had met the Restoration Committee after 'waking up' from the darkness, it had been surprising enough to learn all those things about Heartless, Keyblades, and especially other worlds. She had thought she had been able to understand it all, even after seeing all those amazing feats that Xion and Sora were capable of. But that was just it—she had only _thought_ she was. Since arriving in Traverse Town, Cissnei had quickly come to realize she was the furthest thing from prepared.

"There's…so many different people here."

"Oh! Yeah, I guess this is new for you isn't it?" Yuffie laughed. "I mean, Sora and his friends are probably the first off-worlders you've ever spoken to, aren't they?"

But to Yuffie's surprise, Cissnei shook her head. "There was one person before, actually. Before the Heartless came." So long ago, over a decade, but to her it only felt like two or three years. Already an image was forming in her mind, of spiky black hair and blue clothing. "His name was Zack."

"Zack?" Leon questioned, a vague hint of familiarity. "Why do I know that name?"

"I know it too!" Yuffie shot her hand up as if asking to be called on in class. "Cloud has mentioned him before!"

Cissnei nodded slowly, unsure of just how much Cloud had shared—or how much he even remembered. She opened her mouth to speak, but then shut it again. After a moment, she only said, "Yeah, Cloud knew him too."

"Do you know where he is now?"

"Haven't a clue," Cissnei admitted with a shake of her head. She let out dry, hateful laughter; a sound that was completely unlike her and put both of the other two off-guard. "He probably hates me, though. We…kind of had a falling out."

"Oh… Sorry."

"Don't be. Things happen, life moves on."

And up above, another star went out. Yuffie gulped. "Do you…think they're gonna make it?"

A moment of silence passed. Leon gazed up at the sky. "I don't know," he admitted softly. "But they're gonna try."

* * *

_This was written as an ease-in for me. I've hit some serious writers' block in the last two months, as well as being busy moving into a new place, and am hoping this gets me back into the groove for the next TTGO chapter. We'll see where that takes us._


	5. City of Water

**City of Water**

From the shoreline, Xion adjusted the bag hanging over one shoulder, inside which contained several snacks and bottles of water. With one hand blocking the sunlight she scanned the horizon, searching for one boat out of many on the docks today. Or well, that was what she was _supposed_ to be doing, and what Kairi and Sora were doing beside her. Xion? Her eyes were on the beach itself.

It was a bright, sunshiny day on Destiny Islands. The sky was as blue as blue could be, with only a handful of tiny, wispy clouds hanging up above. Seagulls swooped and cawed around the beach and docks, swiping the food of beachgoers who weren't keeping a watchful eye. A pelican let out a loud cry into the sky as its buoy perch bobbed gently up and down in the sparkling blue water. The ocean was incredibly calm today, the calmest it had been all week.

"HEY! You kids planning on joining us any time soon?! Get the lead out!"

The gruff voice came from a shirtless man who stood with one foot in his boat and one on the dock, his arm resting on his raised knee. Though rough around the edges—_very _rough—the blitzball coach and sailing advocate had surprising depth, as much as the sea he loved so much. Jecht had insisted that he take some of his son Tidus's friends out on a tour of the ruins in the islands.

Now that they had found him, however it may have happened, Kairi waved back at him. "Sorry, Mr. Jecht! We'll be right there! Sora, Xion, come on." Without waiting for a reply, Kairi took off down the dock and practically jumped into Jecht's boat. Sora and Xion followed closely behind, slipping their way in between Kairi and her adoptive sister, Yuna.

It was really through Yuna that they got brought along on this, after all. While Tidus certainly knew Sora and Kairi, and had gotten to know Xion since their arrival, Yuna was the one who could classify as Tidus's friend of the gang here. They had met because Jecht was old friends with Mayor Braska. Wakka was off taking some last-minute makeup tests before summer was over, so Tidus invited Kairi in his place at the same time he asked Yuna. And Kairi wasn't about to go without Sora and Xion.

"Come on! Come on, come on, let's go!"

Of course, there was one other person there, and it would certainly be a feat not to notice her. Rikku (do _not_ pronounce it like Riku's name, she will fight you and Sora can vouch for it), Kairi and Yuna's cousin, was as perky as ever; and as impatient as ever. She was jumping up and down in her seat, with Yuna all but holding onto her to keep her from leaping her to feet and rocking the boat. "Let's go, you guys! I wanna see what treasure I can find!"

"Doubt you'll find much other than pretty sights out there, kid. Pretty sights and history, anyway." Jecht rolled his shoulder as he stepped fully onto the boat. As he began unfolding the sail, he looked to Tidus and gestured toward the rope keeping them docked. "Brat, get us untied."

"Up yours, old man." But Tidus said it with a smile. He climbed to his feet and did as Jecht said, taking the rope in his hands and undoing it. When Sora offered to help, Yuna grabbed him by the hand and pulled him back down.

"Mr. Jecht wouldn't approve of someone helping him," she said while shaking her head. "Honestly, neither would Tidus."

When they were disconnected from the dock, Tidus gave the wood a good, hard kick with the bottom of his shoe and the boat began to drift away from shore. At the same time, Jecht succeeded in getting the sail ready and moved to the wheel. "Alright, we're off!"

Rikku thrust her fist into the air and let out a loud, cheerful "WOOHOO! Ruins, exploration! Let's do this!" Unfortunately, being right next to Kairi forced her cousin to cover her ears.

"Where are we going again?" Xion asked Tidus as he sat back down.

"Some ruins my old man discovered in a lagoon on the tiny island to the south," Tidus replied. He leaned back, shut his eyes, and rested his hands behind his head.

"Ruins?" Kairi asked.

"Kairi, you know the stories!" Yuna replied. "Dad always used to tell them to us. They say that long ago, a techno-magical city dotted the islands, connecting them all together. Then a great war brought it all crashing down."

"Scary," Rikku said with a shiver.

Tidus waved his hand dismissively, then put it back behind his head. "Pff, don't believe in that magic mumbo-jumbo. They're just ruins is all, and people left 'em years ago. I've explored ruins on the main island more than once."

"Gotten lost in 'em more than once, too," Jecht snapped from the front of the boat, earning laughter from everyone but a red-faced Tidus. "Kid, you just don't listen to me enough, do ya? It was a real city, alright. And if the ruins on the main island don't convince you, the lagoon's will."

"Why's that?" Sora asked.

"Heh, you'll see."

**x-x-x**

"What did you say these ruins were called, again?"

Xehanort cracked one eye open and watched as Eraqus moved along the crumbling remnants stone walkway, most of the extravagantly carved road having fallen into the sea. In fact, you could quite clearly see the submerged parts of it under the shimmering surface, along with several other stone structures. The lagoon itself was formed out of ruins, with half of a circular, open-air temple still remaining above the waves and forming the walls of the pool. Moss and vines covered the crumbling building as it moved further inland, but right on the shore it stood out, and Xehanort was resting atop one of them.

"Zanarkand," he replied as he sat up straight. His feet dangled off the edge, inches from the water. "A city that once took up the entirety of these islands, hundreds or thousands of years ago."

Eraqus picked up a piece of what had once been a mural, turning it over and holding it to the sun. From his angle, Xehanort could see the remnants of golden markings glinting off of it in the sunlight. "It's very impressive, Xehanort, but I'm not sure why you insisted that we take a day off to come here."

"I suppose I just wanted to get out."

"You know we can't afford to do that."

"Can't we?" Xehanort jumped down from his seat and landed in shin-deep water. He leaned down and scooped up a handful of the seabed, then brushed away sand and pebbles. What he was left with was a flat, dirty piece of green metal. "Catch." He tossed it Eraqus's way, and his friend fumbled for a moment, but caught it before it fell back into the water.

"What is this?" Eraqus asked, holding it up to the sun as he had the piece of the mural.

"A copper coin."

"Copper?"

"Copper turns green when exposed to the elements, like how iron rusts. But what it's made of isn't important. Look at the symbol on it, Eraqus."

"Symbol? It's hard to see anything under all of this." Eraqus brushed his thumb over the coin's surface, doing his best to scrape off some of the coating. It was a futile effort for sure, but eventually he must have found what Xehanort had him looking for, because he smiled—and then grew puzzled. "What is this, Xehanort? And how did you know it would have it?"

"I didn't, I had found others like it here before." Xehanort made his way over to Xehanort and pointed at the coin, tracing the outline of what appeared to be an upside-down V on its surface. "That is the symbol of Atlantis."

Eraqus's brow furrowed. "I thought you said this place was called Zanarkand?"

"I did, and it is. The presence of an Atlantean coin here, however, would indicate that Zanarkand and Atlantis had contact with each other. Likely even trade."

"I'm not sure I get it."

Xehanort smirked. "Atlantis is not a part of this world, Eraqus. It's somewhere else out there among the stars."

"What are you—" Eraqus cut himself off. He had caught on, now. Taking Xehanort's wrist and pulling it toward him, Eraqus dropped the coin into his outstretched palm. "I'm not going to discuss this with you, Xehanort. The Master doesn't want us talking about—"

"About the Keyblade War? About how Zanarkand was destroyed by it, and by researching these ruins we could learn more about both what the united World was like before, and how the war began?"

"What evidence do you have that it really predates this place? " Eraqus asked "I need something firmer than that symbol. It's so basic, so abstract, it could mean anything."

Xehanort sighed, but he had been expecting it. He pocketed the Atlantean coin. "Murals and fossils, for one, but they're not at this ruin specifically. But I did bring something of mine—I have it on me all the time, actually."

From his other pocket, Xehanort pulled out the ancient pocket watch he had found in these very ruins several months ago. "I didn't know what this was until I came to the Land of Departure, when I found the very same symbols drawn in the Book of Prophecies."

"The Book of—? Xehanort, what were you doing reading that thing?"

"It described a world, and a group of people. Bear, snake, unicorn, fox, leopard." Opening the pocket watch, Xehanort held it toward Eraqus. Though the clock had long since stopped working, the art on the inside cover was miraculously intact, if faded, and displayed the heads of those five animals in a circle with a heart in the center. "The Foretellers of Daybreak Town—the ones who plunged the World into the Keyblade War. This pocket watch belonged to somebody from Daybreak Town, and I found it right here in this temple."

"Xehanort, listen to me!" Eraqus knocked Xehanort's outstretched hand side, and the opened pocket watch fell from Xehanort's hands into the water. Xehanort stared at the water as it rippled, then glared at Eraqus who glared back. "Xehanort, do not walk down this path. What the Foretellers unleashed—the Keyblade War is too dangerous to pursue. There's a reason the Master's precepts bar us from some knowledge."

"Well maybe the precepts are wrong," Xehanort said with a sneer. He called on his Keyblade and held its clock-like teeth out as they began to shine with the light of the Lanes Between. "I'm going home, Eraqus. Do whatever you like; destroy the ruins, if you hate the Keyblade War so much. There's plenty more where they came from."

x-x-x

_Splash!_

After jumping from a toppled statue into the lagoon, Rikku breached the surface and barely took a moment to take a breath before she was calling for Yuna, Kairi, and Xion to join her. "Come on, slowpokes! The water's great, and it's _so cool_ down here! We gotta see what treasures Zanarkand is hiding!"

Beside Xion, Kairi smiled. "Glad I talked you into bringing a swimsuit after all?"

Xion laughed. "Rikku probably would have pulled me into the water even if I hadn't."

"Well yeah. I mean _she_ jumped in fully dressed."

Below, Rikku continued to call for them. "Come ooon, you guys! Yunie is already down here, you're taking too long!"

"We're coming!" Kairi and Xion called together. But though Xion said it too, Kairi wasn't waiting for her to actually be ready. Grabbing Xion by the wrist, Kairi jumped off the crumbling statue they were standing on and leaped into the lagoon.

"Hey, watch it!" Tidus shouted from the boat as their combined splash caused water to come into it. "My old man likes the inside of this thing nice and dry."

Yuna waved to him. "Sorry Tidus, but Mr. Jecht will understand, won't he?"

"Well, he won't get mad at you guys at any rate," Tidus mumbled. "Man, where _is_ he? I want to join in too, not babysit the boat!"

"Went to get pictures or something for Mayor Braska. You'll just have to wait for him to come back, maybe we'll play blitzball without you or something!" Sora said as he did a backstroke away from the boat. "Xion, let's go see how this place looks compared to Atlantica."

"No way!" Rikku sped over to them so quickly that Xion could swear she had a motor or something. She grabbed Xion's arm in both hands and tugged her back toward Yuna. "Xion is with me today, Sora! We're going treasure hunting!"

Xion shrugged helplessly. "Couldn't Sora come with?"

"With four gorgeous girls, bare wet skin glistening in the sun? No. He's stuck with Tidus."

"Hey!" Tidus shouted. Then, he caught himself and pulled back, crossing his arms. "I-I mean, it's not like I wanted to see anything anyway."

While Yuna giggled, Rikku stuck her tongue out at Tidus and then tugged on Xion's arm again. "Come on, Xion! Hope you're good at holding your breath!"

"What—"

"Too late!"

Xion's eyes widened and she barely had time to suck in air before Rikku pulled her underwater. Her eyes burned and she squeezed them shut, but opened them again after catching a quick glimpse at just how _beautiful_ this place was. Ancient ruins were covered in coral, everything from pillars to fully intact towers. The outlines of roads could be seen running on the seafloor, sometimes even with some pavement remaining. Stone arches stretched between the underwater hills, obviously manmade even if the water had worn away at the more unnatural angles. Following Rikku, the two swam over a toppled tower that had faded purple paint barely visible under the algae and coral coating it.

Xion surfaced next to a pillar that stuck up above the water, but was only there long enough to take another breath before she was back underwater. So this was it, Zanarkand, the forgotten history of the Destiny Islands. As the sunlight filtered down on the ruins from the water's surface, something glinting down below caught Xion's eye. She motioned to Rikku, who was somehow still on her first breath, and the two swam down to the twin rocks that the glint had been between.

It was small and round, perhaps bronze though Xion was hardly an expert. But she had seen pictures of bronze that sat too long underwater, and this looked like it to her. Rikku was already reaching for it, so Xion opted to help by pushing aside one of the rocks. But as she turned to it and placed her hand on its rough surface, something caught her by surprise. The rocks were just as unnatural as the ruins, and there were pictures on them—murals! On the stone Xion saw pictures of…keys. Five hooded figures surrounded a _lot_ of keys. She frowned; Keyblades, or…?

"Got it!" Rikku exclaimed. Or at least, that's what Xion _thought_ came from Rikku's mouth. As soon as the garbled words left her, however, Rikku seemed to finally remember they were underwater. Clutching as her throat, she darted for the surface as quickly as she could. Her own lungs starting to burn, Xion followed.

"Check it out!" Treading water, Rikku thrust her new treasure into Xion's face. It was an opened pocket watch, the clock inside having long ago stopped working. Opposite of it, on the inside of the cover, was a faded image, barely visible anymore except for the outline of a fox's head.


	6. Black Daybreak

_This chapter takes place between _The Tides Go Out_ and _On the Way to a Smile_._

* * *

**Black Daybreak**

"I haven't seen you around here before."

Red, featureless eyes flashed briefly in the grey darkness. The oversized, round head of a small cat gazed at a figure in a black coat sitting on the dry fountain. The figure's hood was up, masking their face, but a dainty, curved figure painted an image of their gender if nothing else.

"Where is here?" the girl asked slowly, words hard to form.

"Where is here?" The little cat repeated, staring up at the hooded girl with unblinking red eyes. "Where is here? Here is within, and here is without. A world without light or waking. Are you truly here at all, or is it all a dream?" The cat tilted its head. "If you are here, you are here for a reason."

"A reason? I can't think of a reason…"

"None can, for there is none."

The shadow of a frown passed beneath the girl's hood. "You aren't making sense. I thought that if I was here, I was here for a reason."

"Well, where is here?"

The girl was silent. She shifted her head upward, letting rain land on her hidden face. The cat continued to watch, unmoving.

The pitter-patter of the rain fell on the deaf ears of a quiet world. The sky was overcast and the colors dulled, as if someone had taken the once vibrant purple roofs and star-patterned cobblestone streets, and painted over them with dust. But there was no dust to be found, and if it weren't for the rain one would think time had come to a stop in this place. The fountain no longer flowed, it was empty of all water same what puddles the rain had created. The large clock tower that stood over the town had long since ceased movements, forever locked in perpetuity. But in every sill of every window across all the town, flowers grew. Bright blue flowers with five vibrant petals and a stunning yellow center on each and every one. They had an ethereal glow around them, as if they could fade away at any moment.

The girl lowered her head further than before, looking past the cat and at the ankle-deep water covering the whole of the ground which her feet rested in. "The world is…dead. Or…not dead. Sleeping?"

"Sleep, wake, time, perpetuity. Where we are, we are not, for it is everything and nothing." The small purse hanging around its neck jingled. "Don't wander too far, or the darkness will get you. But wander too close, and the light will consume you."

"I just want answers."

"And I want questions."

The girl thought for a long moment, locking eyes with the little cat, gazing into its unwavering stare. But before she could speak again, the cat continued.

"Did you see the golden eyes?" The girl bit back a gasp, but the little cat did not react. "The golden eyes, the silver hair. When you were brought to this place, to this dream, the other stranger was the one to bring you."

"Golden…eyes…?" The girl sounded in pain, a gloved hand holding her head. "Someone brought me here?"

"Someone, or some_thing_. I only know that what I saw did not belong. Not like me. I belong here, in this waking nightmare. So do you, I would imagine, or you wouldn't be here any longer."

"And who are you, exactly?"

The cat tilted its head once again, the dark pink cape hanging from its back wavering slightly. No one ever asked it that before. Once, long ago, he had been something else. But that was before the darkness took root in this frozen, sleeping world. "Me? Why, I am only a Nightmare as well. We're all nightmares here. Shadows of what once was."

The girl gulped, taking in the cat's words slowly. "What once was?"

"Scattered dreams, far-off memories. All the pieces lie where they fell."

Beneath the shadows, as the rain pitter-pattered on her hood and shoulders, the girl frowned. "Then where did you come from?"

_The Keyblade is an effective weapon against them._

_You look sad. But you know, you're not alone._

_I don't think they understand what's going on._

"I have always been here." Whether light or dark, waking or dream, he had always been here.

"Then how do you—" The girl stopped herself and shook her head, then placed her hands in her lap. "Never mind. I will only get more riddles from you, I'm sure. Can you at least give me a name? Something to call you?"

A name?

He had a name once, long ago. A name given to him by the master, the creator, the one who saw the future. The golden-eyed boy called him by that same name, when he would visit, but it was not his name. Not any longer, not since the shadows took hold. "I have no name to give, I am afraid. I am simply a Nightmare lingering here in this dream."

The girl slumped. "Oh…"

"What about you?"

She perked up, once more staring at him beneath her hood. "My name…?" She looked down at her hands, pressing her fingers together, fiddling with them. The little cat tilted his head, the purse hanging around his neck jingled once more. His large red eyes continued to glow dimly. The girl stared at the shimmering blue flowers on the windowsills all around, and held out a hand to catch the rain in her palm. Beneath the hood, she smiled sadly. "I suppose I don't have a name either."

"Then you and I will stay here, in the dream together. A Nightmare and a nameless girl."

She nodded, and the cat caught sight of short silver hair beneath her hood. "Then I guess we will."


End file.
